Brief Description of the Test

The NMAT is a two-part test: Part 1 consists of tests of mental ability and Part 2 are tests of academic proficiency. The four subtests that compose Part 1 measure aptitudes that were found to have significant correlations with academic performance of medical students, while the four subtests that compose Part 2 measure subject proficiency in areas which are part of the academic background required of applicants to the medical course.

The subtests in Part 1 are as follows:

Verbal. This subtest consists of two item types, namely, word analogies and reading comprehension, which measure verbal reasoning, inferential, and analytical abilities. Items in reading comprehension are based on the content of portions of published materials covering a wide range of topics, e.g., social, scientific, medical, philosophical, literary.

Inductive Reasoning. This subtest consists of number, letter, and figural series and figure grouping items. These items measure induction, a reasoning that occurs in the absence of complete information. Specifically, in the test, it is the ability to perceive relationships among stimuli and draw a logical conclusion or infer a general rule.

Quantitative. This subtest consists of three item types, namely, fundamental operations (or direct computation), problem solving, and data interpretation. These items are intended to measure general reasoning, or the ability to organize and apply knowledge of basic mathematics and reasoning to find solutions for them.

Perceptual Acuity. This subtest consists of three item types, namely, hidden figure, mirror image, and identical information. These are essentially visual recognition tasks that are complicated by distractions. Finding solutions to these items involve accuracy by focusing on relevant details, analyzing relationships, and visualization.

The four subtests that compose Part 2 are Biology, Physics, Social Science, and Chemistry. Social Science includes items in psychology, sociology, and anthropology. The items in the four subtests are limited to concepts that are common and basic to the curricula of college introductory courses, particularly the degree programs considered as premedical courses. On the whole, these four subtests measure complex mental abilities because answering the items requires the use of the different cognitive skills—understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing.